A True Gift For Good

Kyndia Riley, a 2016-17 Heartwood Scholarship recipient, is a first-generation college student and a mentor to students in Charlottesville schools. After graduation in 2019, she plans to teach and mentor younger children who lack access to resources for quality care and a good education. Riley’s parents are both incarcerated and she is struggling to pay for college on her own. The Heartwood Scholarship, made possible by a fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Richmond, helps cover her cost of attending UVA.

The Community Foundation is a public charity that serves its donors and community in Richmond and Central Virginia. The foundation has granted more than $800 million to hundreds of local nonprofits with more than 900 funds of all sizes. The Heartwood Scholarship provides annual support up to $6,000 to a student who graduated from Northumberland High School in Heathsville, Virginia, and qualifies for financial assistance as determined by the University.

“Thank you is a complete understatement,” said Riley. “Attending school with minimum costs is a true blessing, and I cannot imagine where I would be without this assistance.”